The prior art with regard to divers' breathing gas regulators comprises a number of regulators that have been configured in various mechanical forms to provide balanced regulation, normal regulation without balance, and related fluid mechanical features for ease of breathing. Other regulators have provided a pilot function so that upon initiation of a breath, the regulator changes from one mode to another for piloting the movement of a second stage regulator piston. Also, regulators have incorporated various features as to the fluid mechanical aspects thereof to create easier breathing and greater functionality with regard to the regulation of the intermediate pressure gas being delivered from the first stage regulator.
In all the prior art regulators and snorkels, little or no attention has been paid to the mouthpiece. Generally, the mouthpiece follows the standard mouthpiece that has been known over the years. This can be exemplified by the mouthpiece shown in the patent to Bonin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,306. In this particular patent there are shown lugs, or biting tabs upon which a user engages the mouthpiece.
An attempt has been made to provide for a more easily held mouthpiece as disclosed in Shamlain's patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,281. This particular patent incorporates the concept of utilizing a conformable thermoplastic material. Thermoplastic material is placed over the lugs or biting tabs that a user normally engages a second stage regulator with. The thermoplastic material is conformably heatset by a user biting into the plastic material when heated.
A further attempt and advance was made by the teaching shown in the Cerniway patent, U.S. Des. Pat. No.246,671. In that patent, the showing was of a second stage regulator mouthpiece. In that case, the entire mouthpiece incorporated a block of thermoplastic material upon which a user could bite down and cause it to conform to the teeth.
In all of the foregoing prior art patents, a solution was not at hand with regard to a comfortable fit of a mouthpiece contoured to the interior surface of a mouth. Also, the facets of the overall requirements for a mouthpiece as demanded in a second stage regulator were not met.
Fundamentally, the prior art mouthpieces all were nothing other than blocks, tabs, or a bit upon which a user could bite. The end result was that the user had to significantly bite into the mouthpiece to keep it in place. This became uncomfortable to the user over an extended period of time. The usage of the Applicant's mouthpiece herein has been shown to be extremely comfortable. Prior art jaw fatigue is substantially decreased. Such jaw fatigue is usually encountered during long durations of diving with conventional mouthpieces.
The regulator weight is distributed throughout the entire mouth in the Applicant's mouthpiece rather than on two discrete bits or in a densely loaded area. The prior art did not function to remedy this so that a load could be spread over the entire oral, mouth or tooth area, but was rather concentrated.
Another deficiency of the prior art was that the air flow was not as well oriented as a user would like. The Applicant's invention has been found to provide for easier breathing. This is as a result of being able to provide a further widening to the mouth and opening of the teeth when they engage the mouthpiece hereof.
The prior art required that a limited amount of teeth be used to keep the mouthpiece in place. When users who did not have teeth in the right place, used the mouthpiece or had a partial plate or full plate, the grip was not effective by the teeth holding the mouthpiece in place.
The jaw fatigue encountered in prior mouthpieces created substantial work upon the part of the diver. This has been one of the drawbacks of prior art mouthpieces as they have been used.
The prior art mouthpieces required a substantial gripping by the mouth to have it close down upon the bits or tabs of the mouthpiece. The invention hereof does not require such action.
In general, the invention hereof provides for the regulator weight to be distributed over a broader area of the entire mouth instead of merely two points. In addition to the foregoing, a user need not bite on the mouthpiece to keep it in place in a vigorous manner as in the prior art. This also eliminates the likelihood that the user will bite through the mouthpiece as in prior art regulators.
Attendant with the improvements hereof is the fact that the spreading of the load makes it less likely that a user's teeth will be damaged upon impact of the regulator. This can be appreciated, inasmuch as divers encounter various conditions when diving which cause the regulator to possibly impact and thereby hit the teeth of the user.
The end result is that jaw fatigue is limited by the invention hereof and the mouthpiece provides optimum comfort by resting on the palate areas as well as the teeth.
The mouthpiece is held more rigidly in place, which makes it difficult to knock out as opposed to the prior art. This also helps to prevent the mouthpiece from falling out as in the prior art.
The mouthpiece can be coupled to or integrally molded with a snorkel to provide an improved snorkel in conjunction with the improved mouthpiece.
As a consequence, this invention is a step over the prior art and will be seen hereinafter as being a significant aid to divers using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, as well as free diving equipment, such as snorkels and industrial breathing equipment.